Guide

How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Room? (2026 UK Guide)

Painting a room is one of the cheapest ways to transform a space, but the final bill depends on more than a couple of tins of paint. Here's a realistic breakdown of what it costs in the UK in 2026, whether you're doing it yourself or paying a decorator.

Doing it yourself

For a standard bedroom of around 12 square metres of floor, a DIY repaint of the walls and ceiling in mid-range emulsion typically comes to between £40 and £80 in paint, plus £20 to £40 in sundries: rollers, brushes, masking tape, filler and dust sheets. If the woodwork needs doing too, add a small tin of satinwood or gloss.

The exact paint figure depends on wall area, colour change and how many coats you need. Our paint cost calculator turns your room measurements into litres and a price so you're not guessing at the shop.

Hiring a decorator

A professional decorator in the UK typically charges somewhere between £150 and £350 per day, and a straightforward room often takes one to two days including prep. That usually puts a professionally painted room in the region of £250 to £600 including materials, more for high ceilings, heavy preparation or intricate woodwork.

What pushes the price up

Three things quietly inflate the cost: extensive filling and sanding of damaged walls, painting over a dark colour that needs an extra coat, and high or stairwell ceilings that need access equipment. If your walls are sound and you're not making a drastic colour change, you're at the cheaper end.

Keeping costs down

Buying paint in larger tubs is cheaper per litre than small tins, but only if you'll use it. Prepping well — filling, sanding and cleaning — makes the paint go on better and last longer, which saves money over repainting sooner. And measuring properly before you buy avoids both the wasted expense of over-buying and the second trip for running short.